Southern African countries will launch a free trade area on Aug. 17, when their leaders meet in Johannesburg, to boost trade and economic growth in the region.

The 14-member Southern African Development Community will publish a report at the launch of the FTA on how countries in the region have fared in cutting tariffs, South Africa’s Trade Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa told reporters in Pretoria today.

South Africa takes over chairmanship of the 14-member Southern African Development Community from Zambia at a meeting of heads of states on Aug. 16. Other SADC members include Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

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